On Her Own
by Natureboy3
Summary: When Leon gives his life for her, Ashley must learn to fend for herself. Not easy in the first place, and Saddler is looking for her. LeonxAshley.
1. Goodbye

**A.N.: Here's my second Resident Evil story. Hopefully it will be much better then my first. Read, review, but no flames please.**

Ashley Graham, daughter of the President of the United States, watched as yet another Ganado fell victim to Leon's Blacktail.

She shivered in her clothes, remembering she had bought them because they looked good on her.

_To hell with that._

She just wanted to be home, away from Saddler and all these Spanish-speaking freaks. Away from the Las Plagas and the horrific images she was constantly seeing. Keeping one hand gripped tightly to the agent's shoulder, she spared a glance up at the sky.

It was dark, the crescent moon providing a small amount of light. The rest of the light came from the torches the villagers carried. Slowly pulling Leon backwards through the trees, Ashley felt her mind wander to the American agent.

At that exact moment he still had his calm, cool look even when under pressure. His ice-blue eyes narrowed as be blasted away Ganado after Ganado.

He was going through this living hell because of her.

Maybe when they got out of here, she'd offer him some "overtime". He deserved it. Ashley smiled to herself, despite watching a Ganado have his head blown off.

Rnnnnn Rnnnnnnnnn Rnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

A metallic buzzing filled the air, and Dr. Salvador appeared out of the mob that followed the two Americans.

Leon cursed and fumbled for the shotgun which was strapped across his back. Turning slightly, he eyed the president's daughter.

"Ashley! Go hide!"

Turning away from Leon, Ashley turned and ran. Dodging through a pair of trees and over a fallen log, she pressed her back against the rough bark.

The only sounds she could hear was her own hard breathing, a chainsaw running, and shotgun blasts. Wiping a strand of blonde hair from her face, she then sat down against the tree covering her face in her hands.

Why her? What had she done to make God hate her so much? Looking down at her body, she sighed.

She was completely filthy. Any skin exposed by her clothing was covered with dirt, cuts, and bruises. She could imagine her friends from college seeing her now.

The girl probably would have looked hilarious had her situation not been so serious.

Ashley Graham shook herself suddenly. How could she be worrying about herself at a time like this? Leon was risking his life for her, and she was worrying about her looks of all things!

Ashley stopped and listened; remembering the American agent and Dr. Salvador. She couldn't hear anything, no gunshots or psychotic whirring of a chainsaw.

Standing up, she slowly made her way back to where she last saw Leon. The bodies of the Ganados were gone, evaporated like always.

Aside from blood streaks on the ground, there was no sign anyone had been there.

"Ashley..."

Ashley let out a frightened squeak and turned, relaxing at the sight of Leon. He had a nasty gash on his left shoulder, but other then that appeared okay. Ashley let out another cry, this one of joy, and threw her arms around Leon's neck.

"When we get home, I'll make sure you get a giant bonus. You'll never have to work again and can live the rest of your life in comfort." She murmured.

Leon smiled. "Let's get going. We need to find a place to spend the night."

* * *

It wasn't long before a small moonlit clearing. As Leon reloaded his shotgun and Blacktail, Ashley dug round in the attache case. Pulling out a first-aid spray for Leon, she found something else.

A small rectangle with a shiny wrapper. A Snickers bar. The first real food Ashley had seen in days. Her stomach growled loudly.

At first, she considered hiding the treat and having it all to herself later. She savagely discarded the thought and stood up. Handing the spray to Leon, she then held out the candy bar.

Leon shook his head in polite refusal. "You eat it, Ashley. I'm not hungry."

That was a lie and Ashley knew it. If she was as hungry as this, Leon must be starving. She was tempted to take up the offer and eat it all, but mentally kicked herself for being so selfish.

_Don't be such a conceited bitch! _

"We'll share." She said finally.

Unwrapping the sugary treat and breaking it in half, she handed a piece to Leon before taking a small bite of her own.

Nothing had ever tasted so good. She felt almost human again. Slowly consuming her portion, she then lay down to sleep.

"Good night, Leon."

Leon looked at her from his half of the candy bar.

"Good night, Ash."

* * *

Ashley awoke, looking up at the stars. Looking over at Leon, she saw the American agent sleeping on his back, Blacktail close to his hand.

Standing up, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

_Maybe this place isn't so bad, at least at night._

She opened her eyes...to see the snarling face of a Ganado.

Ashley opened her mouth to scream, but it was cut off as the Ganado clamped his filthy hand over her mouth. As he raised the ax which was held in his other hand, Ashley let out another muffled scream and closed her eyes.

The hand over her mouth was suddenly gone as Leon tackled the Ganado. Pulling the trigger on his gun, the Ganado was flung away in the bang that followed.

Ashley cheered quietly as the body dissolved, only to fall silent when Leon did not rise.

Moving quickly to his side, she slowly turned him over to reveal a horrifying sight. The blade of the ax had pierced deeply into the agent's chest.

"No! Leon!"

Falling to her knees, she quickly pulled off the sweatshirt tied around her shoulders and pressed into onto the agent's chest to stop the bleeding. It didn't help much, and the blood continued to flow.

"Ashley..."

Leon reached up and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall from her amber eyes.

"Don't..."

Ashley sobbed quietly. "Leon! Please don't go! How will I get home without you?"

Leon smiled. "You'll be fine, Ashley. You're a brave and clever girl. You'll be okay."

"Oh Leon..." Ashley sobbed.

Leaning down, Ashley pressed her lips to Leon's.

It was a wonderful kiss. The best Ashley had ever experienced. A feeling of warmth spread through her body, sending away the cool night air.

Opening her eyes, she saw Leon's face gently fall away as his body went limp. Burying her face in his neck, she gave up trying to stop the tears and cried.

**A.N.: Please review! Please! I won't update until I get at least one!**


	2. New Clothes

**A.N.: Thank you all for the reviews! On with the show!**

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, lighting up the still forest. Ashley failed to notice the light as it shone down on her, wiping a hand across her red eyes.

She stared at the still form of Leon, expecting him to wake up and tell her that they should start moving. But he didn't move. Ashley gently brushed a lock of his hair from his face, shaking with unshed tears.

A loud ringing startled her, and she saw a red light blinking on Leon's communicator.

Gingerly removing the device from it's holster, she flipped it open. There was some static, then an image of a woman with brown hair and glasses appeared.

"Leon? Are you there? It's Hunnigan. Come in, what is the status of the mission?"

"H-hello? This is Ashley," the president's daughter said slowly.

"Ashley Graham? Are you okay? Where's Leon?"

Ashley couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She was surprised that she had any left, but she cried more then she had the previous night.

"Leon is...d-dead..." She could barely bring herself to choke out the horrible words.

Hunnigan listened quietly as Ashley slowly relayed the events of the previous night. As Ashley finished, Hunnigan sighed slowly.

"Okay, Ashley. We'll send a chopper to pick you up right away. Just beyond your current position is another path that leads from the village. The chopper will pick you up beyond there. Can you do that?"

Ashley nodded and flipped the communicator closed. Standing up, she slowly took the holster from Leon's belt and clipped it to her own. Slowly unbuckling his knife and sheath from his chest, she clipped it to her torso as Leon had done.

Shouldering the pack that held the Attache Case, flashlight, and shotgun, she knelt down beside her dead hero one more time.

Leaning over him, she pressed her lips to Leon's. They were now cold, causing the girl's heart to shudder with sadness.

"Thank you, Leon. You'll always be in my heart and thoughts, every step of the way," she whispered.

Taking the Blacktail that was still clenched in the American agent's hand, she clipped it's holster to her belt.

The steel felt cold and awkward in her delicate hand, and she prayed to God she wouldn't have to use it. She shivered again as the sun disappeared yet again behind the gray clouds, and the ever-present mist set in.

She hoped the Merchant would show up soon. She needed to buy some new clothes.

* * *

A blue flame flickered through the trees, next to one of the many primitive houses that dotted the area. The sunset was blurred by the persistent rain clouds covering the sky.

Ashley sighed in relief as she approached. Several long hours of walking had formed blisters on her feet. The knee-high boots she wore were meant for fashion, not comfort.

Approaching the blue torch, she saw the Merchant with a small table displaying weapons, ammo, and other goods for sale. The cloaked figure nodded to Ashley as she got close, his purple cloak and blue bandanna covering all but his eyes, which glowed a pale orange in the fading light.

Ashley wondered if the Merchant was actually a Ganado like all the others. He didn't seem to have a love for Las Plagas or the Los Illumanados.

The blue medallions Leon had destroyed to get his free Blacktail had been inscribed with the cult symbol. The man was pretty quiet and seemed to keep to himself, maybe he could resist the parasite?

"Welcome! Got some rare things on sale, strangah. What're ya' buyin'?"

The man didn't seem to wonder about the absence of Leon, who Ashley always stayed within three feet from.

Leon had always handled the buying of weapons and selling of treasure the two found on their adventure, so Ashley was unsure how to proceed.

"I need some new clothes. Things that will keep me warm and are durable. Do you have anything like that?" Ashley asked in a polite voice.

The Merchant turned and rummaged through the large backpack he always carried, finally pulling out a long-sleeved black shirt and black cargo pants.

"Will that be all, strangah?"

The Merchant held out his hand, waiting for the 800 pesetas to pay for the clothes.

"Wait! I need to try them on first to make sure they'll fit me!" Ashley protested.

The Merchant nodded and watched as Ashley disappeared into the old house. Making sure all the shades were securely covering the windows, the young woman slowly undressed and tried on her new outfit.

The pants were a bit baggy, but they would do the job. Clipping her belt back to her waist, she checked herself in the mirror.

She almost recoiled, she looked absolutely hideous. Ignoring her own reaction to her clothing, she stepped back outside.

"I need some new shoes. Shoes that will be comfortable for walking."

The merchant dug around in his backpack again, coming up with some plain, white running shoes. Ashley gratefully accepted the footwear and payed the 600 pesetas along with the 800 for her clothes.

"Heh heh heh. Thank you, strangah. Come back anytime."

* * *

Ashley sighed and leaned her back against the bark of a tree.

She was exhausted and decided here was as good as any for spending the night. Slowly wrapping her hand around the Blacktail, she closed her eyes.

"Te coji!"

Ashley opened her eyes to see three villagers holding torches. As one reached down, grabbed her, and hoisted her over his shoulder, Ashley tried to escape with no success.

"Leon, help!"

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Ashley became very quiet. Nobody was going to save her. She needed to get out of this by herself.

Slowly reaching toward her chest, she slowly drew the knife that was sheathed there. She took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and jabbed the blade into the villager's neck.

As warm blood sprayed across her hands, Ashley got up when the dead villager dropped her. The other two stopped and turned to her.

"Te voy a romper en padzos!"

Ashley shook as a villager with a scythe approached her. Fumbling for the Blacktail at her waist, she squeezed the trigger.

The shot was dead on, blasting the villager's head off. As the decapitated body collapsed, the final villager closed in.

It was a woman with a blue dress, white apron, and carrying a knife. Ashley closed her eyes and fired again and again. Finally, the villager dropped and lay still.

Ashley cried silently as the bodies dissolved. She had killed three people. Yes, they were infected people trying to kill her, but she had taken their lives.

As she lay back down to try and get some sleep, the thought wouldn't leave her head.

She had killed them, ended their lives. Did that make her no better then Saddler?

**A.N.: Review! Please! **


	3. Cabin Fight

**A.N.: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock!**

Ashley trembled from exhaustion as she continued walking. How in the world could Leon keep going at such a quick pace? Her feet felt like lead and a throbbing headache pounded in her skull.

In was the following night after the three Ganados tried to carry her off, and she continued trekking toward the area Hunnigan had indicated.

Thankfully, she had seen no more Ganados. It was pure luck, and the fact the villager had been so close, that she had managed to get a head-shot. The young woman did not wish to press her luck any further.

The storm clouds had finally started to pour, which made the walk even more miserable. Lifting her head and wiping a strand of hair from her face, she saw a small bridge in the distance. As she approached the wooden structure, the communicator began to ring.

Flipping it open, the image of Hunnigan appeared.

"Ashley, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Ashley shut her eyes and held back a sob. What could possibly go wrong now?

"What is it?"

"We've lost contact with the chopper. Someone must have shot it down, although we can't determine who. We're prepping another chopper for you; I want you to keep moving toward the extraction point."

It took all of Ashley's will not to break down in tears as she put the communicator back in it's holster. It would take awhile before the chopper could reach her. Who knows if she could hold out until then? The wooden bridge creaked as she stepped off the other side.

_Come on, Ashley! Think! What would Leon do?_

She could almost picture the Agent, walking confidently ahead and ice-blue eyes alert for danger. If she stumbled he would reach back, take her hand, smile at her, and tell her in that lovely voice of his that they could rest soon...

"_Ahi esta!" _

Ashley whirled around to see a large mob of villagers advancing across the bridge toward her. Another mob was coming through a wooden gate not far behind her.

Resisting the urge to scream, she ran toward the nearest hiding place. That hiding place happened to be a large two-story cabin between the two groups.

Giving the wooden door a big shove, she ran inside and closed it behind her. What was she going to do? The cabin had several simple pieces of furniture, and was illuminated by a small oil lamp hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

"Catch!"

Ashley jumped as an ax handle flew at her from the shadows. She grabbed the wooden handle, but not before the edge struck her on the side of the face.

Letting out a squeak of pain, she jammed the handle behind the door to stop it from opening, at least for awhile. That accomplished, she turned around to see a man of Spanish decent step from the shadows.

He had long black hair, and wore tan pants with a blue vest and long-sleeved shirt underneath.

"_Buenos dias, Senorita!" _The man stepped a little closer, grinning as he did so. "Well, I can see the President has equipped his daughter with ballistics, too!"

Ashley scowled as the man stared bluntly at her chest. The shirt she wore wasn't her size, and her feminine features were bit more obvious.

"How rude! And I don't see any relevance with my figure and my standing! Who are you?"

The man bowed at the waist in sarcasm. "Excuse me, your highness. Perhaps the young lady might want to introduce herself first, before asking someone his name. I'll tell you anyway, my name is Luis Sera."

"My name is Ashley Graham, the President's daughter." Ashley tried to keep her voice polite and formal, but she was still fuming from the "ballistics" comment.

"Where is Leon? Isn't he with you?"

Ashley recoiled as if Luis had struck her. She had forgotten in her anger.

"Leon is..." Her voice trailed off and she looked down at her feet.

Realization struck Luis, and his eyes went wide. Cursing under his breath as he looked out a window behind Ashley, he took out a Red9 from the waistband of his pants.

"_Te voy a matar!"_

The villagers were slowly approaching, now fixated on the cabin.

"_Senorita, _upstairs!" Luis commanded, taking a post by the door.

"But..."

"Now!"

Ashley turned and ran up the wooden steps, halting at the top. Spying a wardrobe in the corner, she hid inside. It wasn't long before the Ganados entered the cabin.

"_Cabron!" _

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Three successive shots were fired, and Ashley could hear more Ganados entering downstairs.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Did you send out the invitations? I told you no more then fifty peopl-auugh!"

Ashley cringed as Luis cried out, cutting him off from his joke. He heard rushing of feet as Luis dashed upstairs, and more gunfire.

Crash!

The shattering of glass told Ashley that the villagers had found ladders and were now coming through the windows as well as up the stairs.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Ashley took a shaky breath. There was no way Luis could fend them off by himself! She had to help him, but how?

"Aaaaack!"

Ashley couldn't take it anymore. Gripping the Blacktail in her hand, she shoved open the door and leaped from her hiding place.

Luis was in the middle of the room. He was bleeding heavily from his left arm, and there was a gash on his forehead. A Ganado had picked him up and was attempting to break his neck, by throttling him.

Luis desperately tried to reach his gun, which lay out of reach on the wood floor. Ashley opened her mouth but no sound came out. Aiming the Blacktail, she stopped. What if she hit Luis?

Shaking hard, she squeezed the trigger. The bullet the villager in the leg. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough for Luis to kick him off and retrieve his weapon.

"What? I told you to hide!"

Ashley ignored him, reloaded her handgun, and aimed it at an advancing villager. She was a poor shot, only a couple of the bullets hit their mark. She would have to learn quickly, or they were done for.

Pushing a ladder away from the window, she heard a scream followed by a thunk as gravity took effect and pulled the villager back to earth. Now the few remaining villagers were coming up the stairs.

She watched as Luis threw something at their feet. She recognized the red egg-shaped thing to be an incenderary grenade. Nothing happened, it must have been a dud. Luis cursed and pulled out his Red9, shooting at the Ganados.

It hindered their progress, but failed to stop it. A few more steps and they would be upon him. Ashley eyed he incenderary grenade on the floor, and took aim.

Shooting desperately, she nearly emptied the magazine when a bullet hit her mark. The grenade exploded, causing the Ganados to be doused in flames. Ashley and Luis watched silently as the charred bodies collapsed to the floor and evaporated.

"_Vamanos."_

Ashley watched through the broken window as the mobs retreated, vanishing into the darkness.

"It's okay, they're gone."

Luis nodded and pulled a first-aid spray out of his pocket. Spraying it onto his injuries, he looked back at Ashley.

"That was a good shot, _Senorita_. So, what do we do now?"

Ashley thought for a moment as they went downstairs. "The bridge Leon crossed to get here is out, so I guess we have no choice but to keep moving."

Luis stiffened suddenly. "I forgot something, you go on ahead and I'll catch up."

Ashley watched as the Spaniard stepped out the door, the ax handle had long since been splintered, and disappeared into the night.

**A.N.: Review! Please! Give me ideas! Also, my buddy VisserZer0 just published his first Resident Evil fic, and it has Leon and Ashley! It's called Mind Games. Go check it out!**


	4. El Gigante

**A.N.: Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! I'm going to be gone all next week, so it may be awhile before I update again. Don't despair! I will update eventually!**

Ashley looked around as she exited the cabin. The rain continued to pour, making it hard to see where she was going. The fact that it was the middle of the night didn't help much.

She desperately wanted to rest, but Ashley knew she wasn't safe there and kept moving. A large wooden wall with two gates loomed before her. Her amber eyes focused on a lever between them.

_This must be what opens the gates._

Gripping the metal rod in her hands, Ashley jerked it as hard as she could. It moved with surprising ease, and the blonde girl heard a slow creaking as one of the gates opened.

The gate on the right had opened, and she moved cautiously through it. A pair of metal doors stood in front of her. Ashley shivered as she slowly pushed open the doors. They appeared to be truly reenforced, which wasn't a good sign.

The president's daughter found herself standing in a narrow canyon. It was about several hundred yards long with large boulders placed along the top edge.

A large wooden gate with a doorway, probably an exit, was visible at the other side.

_What's with this place? The villagers must really be trying to keep something out._

Ashley holstered her handgun and pulled the shotgun from the backpack. Gripping it until her hands turned white, she tried to work up enough courage to move forward.

Walking as quickly as she dared, which wasn't very fast, she stopped in the middle of the canyon.

Her shuddering breath and pounding heart were the only sound she could hear. It was unnaturally quiet.

_Or maybe . . . they're trying to keep something in. _

CRASH!

Ashley became mute with pure terror as a giant crashed down into the canyon, El Gigante, to be exact.

Ashley couldn't move as the monster moved toward her with loud, crashing footsteps. Letting out a loud roar which nearly split her skull, it raised a giant fist into the air.

The president's daughter dropped to the ground, hands covering her head, and waited to be turned into pulp.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Ashley opened her eyes to see a canine with long, white fur leap into the canyon.

"A dog?"

Woof! Woof! Woof!

El Gigante turned and stumbled after the dog, who dodged and leaped as the monster swung giant fists at it. Ashley took the opportunity to get up, placing the shotgun to her shoulder.

Shaking with fear, she squeezed the trigger. Then again, and again.

Suddenly, the monster dropped to one knee, clutching at it's back. Ashley watched as a large Las Plagas tentacle came bursting from it's back. Dropping the weapon, she pulled the knife of the sheath on her chest.

She remembered what Leon had told her about killing this kind of monster.

Breaking into a run, she leaped onto his broad back. El Gigante roared with rage, but was unable to reach the girl as she scrambled toward the Las Plagas tentacle.

Gripping the knife in her delicate hand as hard as she could, she slashed desperately. An audible snap could be heard as the knife completely severed the tentacle.

El Gigante got back to his feet and Ashley lost her footing. Falling onto a pile of loose dirt, which broke her fall, Ashley had the breath completely knocked out of her.

Her eyes went wide with terror as the dead El Gigante began to fall forward. In a moment, she would be crushed.

Woof!

The next few heartbeats were all a blur. Ashley felt herself be pushed aside, and a loud crash as the dead monster hit the ground. Getting to her feet, Ashley squinted through the pouring rain.

She saw the dog had pushed her out of the way, resulting in his back legs being pinned beneath the body.

"No!" Ashley stepped over to where the dog lay trapped.

It let out a small whine as Ashley stroked his head. The dog was completely stuck. He couldn't move.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get you out."

The dog watched as Ashley picked up a broken spar of wood, propping it as near to the canine as she could.

Ashley gripped the stick firmly, "you need to move quickly. I can only hold it for a second."

Wether the dog understood her words or not, it seemed to understand what Ashley was trying to do. As the president's daughter put all her weight onto the branch, the dog was just able to pull himself free.

The freed dog let out a happy bark and jumped on Ashley, covering her face in licks. His legs didn't seem damaged.

Ashley noticed his ice-blue eyes were strikingly similar to Leon's. She gently pushed her new friend off and picked up the backpack.

"Come on, let's get moving."

The dog let out a bark of approval and followed Ashley into the darkness.

**A.N.: I got grounded halfway through this chapter, then I was gone at summer camp. I'll be gone on a camping trip all next week. I know this chapter isn't that great, so forgive me. Feel free to give me ideas and a name for the dog! **


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